ME-SEN: Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner admits using 'indefensible' antigay slurs in unearthed Reddit posts

[RandySF]

A progressive U.S. Senate candidate in Maine, who has already apologized for earlier misogynistic and racially insensitive remarks and said he did not realize that a tattoo on his chest resembled a Nazi SS emblem, is again under scrutiny, this time for anti-LGBTQ+ comments.

In an interview on Wednesday afternoon with The Advocate, Graham Platner, a 41-year-old Marine and Army veteran running in Maine’s Democratic primary, seeking to become the nominee to challenge Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, confirmed that he authored a series of Reddit comments that include homophobic slurs, anti-LGBTQ+ jokes, and sexually explicit stories denigrating gay men.

The existence of the comments, posted under the handle P-Hustle between 2016 and 2021, has not previously been reported. The Advocate obtained the posts independently this week. The revelations come on the same day Platner is scheduled to hold a town hall in Ogunquit, a seaside resort long known as one of New England’s most prominent LGBTQ+ destinations, featuring a thriving gay community and Pride celebrations that draw visitors from across the region.

“I have no reason to deny [that the posts are mine],” Platner said in a Zoom interview. “I made a lot of comments over the years and talked a lot of shit on the internet. I have no reason to doubt that at some point I used language that I would not be using today.”





https://www.advocate.com/politics/graham-platner-homophobic-posts#toggle-gdpr

[QueerDuck]

1. He's irreparably damaged. Disqualified.

At this point, he's going to cause more harm and division. He should withdraw and find something else to do.

[RandySF]

2. Personal Note

Last edited Thu Oct 23, 2025, 07:30 PM - Edit history (1)

When is enough enough?

[QueerDuck]

6. It's already enough. I have every confidence that his hardcore supporters will defer to Bernie's previous endorsement...

and try to make us believe that "if it doesn't bother Bernie, then it shouldn't bother us" (or something).

Or, I can easily see this also being dismissed by describing it as a "youthful indiscretion" or a "youthful lapse in judgement" --- but that wouldn't be true either. A rough estimate of his age at the time would put him at about 35 years old when he was posting this crap as "P-Hustle".

While that is younger than I am, that is certainly not an age that qualifies for "youthful indiscretion" forgiveness and sweeping-under-the-rug. He was old enough to know better.

Things like this (in spite of politically expedient apologies... now that he's been caught and called-out) reveal much about someone's character and demeanor and temperament.

And with all these "revelations," it's clear to me that he's damaged beyond repair. His candidacy is a disaster and it's divisive. If this continues it will only serve to create further distrust and weaken the Democrats... thus resulting in ANOTHER term for the insufferable Susan Collins.

You are correct, RandySF. This is well beyond "enough" and based on what we know now, our anger and disappointment cannot be rationally dismissed as being little more than "blind-Bernie-hate" being projected onto a Bernie-endorsed candidate.

He needs to withdraw and find himself a podcast to host or a youtube channel.

[madinmaryland]

24. Spell check is your friend. Not to get "personal".

[Biophilic]

3. How can he be called a "progressive "?

[RandySF]

4. Economics

This is what some pundits refer to when they say we need to widen our tent to include people we don’t agree with.

[Biophilic]

15. F that.

If I can't agree with someone on basic decency and ethics what kind of a pretzel do I need to become to agree with them on economics?

[RandySF]

18. I agree.

Basic decency id non-negotiable.

[sop]

5. Why Platner? Are there no other true progressives in Maine willing to run against "the establishment"?

[RandySF]

7. I don't know.

But Bernie wasn’t budging as of yesterday and neither were Pod Save America.

[QueerDuck]

8. That's a mistake on both their parts. Personal pride and stubbornness are often tools to "make-a-point" ...

but it's certainly no way to win an election or to create unity. He's damaged beyond repair. "Jake" from State Farm (and "Flo" from Progressive) would say his campaign and candidacy has been totaled.

In the highly unlikely event that he wins the primary, he would not be a unifying force that could bring in enough self-respecting voters in numbers large enough to defeat Susan Collins.

If he drags this all the way to the end, and is defeated in the primaries, his hardcore supporters (mostly Bernie supporters from what I can tell) will be resentful. And if there are ridiculous claims of the "establishment" being against him and "rigged" primaries... well... that will just deepen the distrust, and suppress the vote.

He needs to get out NOW while there's still time to repair the damage. Nothing good can come from continuing to try and run this clunker to the finish line. It's dented, tarnished, cracked, with wobbly wheels and being held together with duct tape and wire coat-hangers.

Even "Mayhem" from Allstate wouldn't try to repair this campaign. It's over.

[democratsruletheday]

11. Correct...and rightfully so

HE GONE

[FBaggins]

9. That's my question as well

Collins has proven herself to be tough to beat and we just had the sitting governor get into the race. Why is a 40-something fisherman even in the news (with or without a tattoo)? Can’t he run for town council or something first?

[QueerDuck]

10. HE is white, ex-military, young, and "anointed" as some sort of anti-establishment candidate...

and, sadly, for some folks, that's all that matters. Obviously, many will ignore his baggage, his history, al the cumulative evidence of his poor judgement, and questions about honesty and forthcomingness, or understanding of basic history. His being blessed and chosen means more than actual qualifications, and more than having the best chance to unite voters in order to defeat a well-funded multi-term incumbent.

You ask a valid question... "can't he run for town council or something first?" --- Considering the questions and negatives that we already know about him, he's going to need to prove himself first. Politically expedient apologies for anti-LGBTQ jokes/slurs/rhetoric... and late-in-life tattoo cover-ups ring hollow and insincere for many people.

We can do better than this. He needs to withdraw now and end his campaign.

[Easterncedar]

33. You never heard him speak?

He inspired a lot of positive excitement. Folks are really demoralized now. What a win for Collins. Can you stop hammering this or do you have an agenda beyond keeping Collins in her seat?

[QueerDuck]

40. As Maya Angelou said...

"When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time."

I believe him.

This is over. He's finished. He's no longer a serious candidate or contender. Too much has come out... what will be next?

[JBTaurus83]

12. Handing

The election to Susan Collins on a silver platter.

[DFW]

13. He should have put ALL this stuff out front in the beginning

Leave NOTHING to be discovered later. Even if it’s wrong to judge him by these relative antiquities, the fact that they are now dribbling out bit by bit demonstrates poor judgment on the part of his campaign. It will continue to distract from any message it will want to get across.

Sanders has been in enough campaigns to realize this. If Sanders wants to help him out, he might consider advising him to drop out now, and hitch his wagon to a candidate more likely to win, one who might have a useful post for him if victorious. If Sanders tells him damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead, well, I were Platner, I’d tell him thanks for the advice, but this time, I am going in another direction. If Platner goes down, Sanders will not go down with the ship.

[RandomNumbers]

39. YES. People change ... BUT ...

he didn't handle this well enough.

Time to step aside.

And apparently some of his nasty stuff was in 2021. That's not that long ago.

https://themainemonitor.org/platner-reddit-posts/

CNN focused on a series of posts from 2021 in which Platner also called himself a communist, said rural Americans are “racist” and “stupid,” called all cops “bastards” and used the word “retard” several times.

[Just_Vote_Dem]

14. So, Nazi tattoo, Blackwater employee, and anti LGBTQ+ statements

And this guy is supposed to be a progressive? LOL-Repub plant if there ever was one

[JBTaurus83]

16. Another

Fetterman/Manchin/Sinema in the making?

[ProfessorGAC]

28. The First Thing I Thought...

...was "Wasn't Fetterman considered antiestablishment?" The relaxed dress thumbing his nose at norms & decorum.
Sure seems he's fallen in line with the powers that be, so I'm suspicious of these "buck the system" types.
It's so easy to put on that suit and fool people.

[sop]

17. Senator Sanders: I hope Platner doesn't turn out to be another Fetterman.

In 2018 Sanders endorsed Fetterman for Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania and held a rally with him in Philadelphia. During Fetterman's 2022 run for the U.S. Senate, Sanders publicly supported him, praising him as a "real fighter for the working class." Following Fetterman's victory, Sanders said his win was a sign that Democrats could succeed with a "strong working-class economic message."

[Cha]

25. Uh huh... So What Happened to the

"..strong working-class economic message."?

I'd like to hear Sanders' answer to that.

[QueerDuck]

29. Empty words. At this point we're looking at a situation where personal pride...

... and stubbornness are more important than what's good for the country and what's the best way to defeat Susan Collins. From where I sit, this is a set-up for failure. A complete disaster that will divide the party, create resentment and distrust... it will suppress turnout... and Susan Collins will win AGAIN.

[Cha]

31. Oh I know that too Well from

the history of said subject.

[Keepthesoulalive]

54. MAGA are not the only worshippers

This person attempting to run as a democrat is a Trojan horse and a certain senator should sit down and stop supporting unvetted candidates because he likes them and his followers should ask that he vet them.

[Quiet Em]

58. I have seen a couple comments where it seems that the only reason some people continue to support this bad candidate

is because a Senator they like has supported him. I don't think I have ever been in complete lockstep with a politician. Heck, I don't always agree with my husband 100% of the time. It's weird.

[Keepthesoulalive]

60. Some folks latch on to a politician

And lose the ability to reason. Which is why we are so screwed now.

[QueerDuck]

63. You make an excellent point.

[Emile]

35. He also endorsed Kamala Harris, AOC, and Jasmine Crockett.

[QueerDuck]

43. How is this relevant to the current discussion. Successes and good-luck in the past...

is certainly no guarantee of future success. Nor is it enough to be used as an excuse of "free pass" when poor judgement has been used and when a mistake has clearly been made. The tide is rushing in and this sand castle is being washed away. It makes no sense for anyone to continue to continue to waste time and effort trying to reinforce the mote or walls or parapets with more sand. People need to swallow their pride, learn from their mistakes and realized Instead that it's time to abandon a hopeless cause and move to higher ground.

[Emile]

44. LOL 🤣🤣😆

https://ballotpedia.org/Endorsements_by_Bernie_Sanders

[QueerDuck]

45. LOL! 🤣🤣😆

Thanks for helping to prove my point. With his recent endorsement, the axiom about "past performance" remains true.

[Emile]

46. Which ones?

[QueerDuck]

48. As a reminder of something I told you recently: I do not play those types of call-and-response games.

I don't spoon-feed information to adults. I don't waste my time providing answers to questions with obvious answers, or with answers that can be found by anyone who's ever heard of Google and who has the language skills to construct a query. And as a rule (in case anyone is ever tempted in the future) I also don't waste my time responding to bad-faith "sea-lioning" questions; and I don't do research for anyone who pretends to not understand; or who tries to convince me that they need clarification with self-evident facts and concepts. So... I'm afraid you'll have to figure it out yourself, Emile.

[Emile]

49. I understand perfectly!

[QueerDuck]

62. That remains to be seen.

[Emile]

64. Well you don't want to answer a simple question.

Why not?

[QueerDuck]

67. Asked and answered. Next!

Here's an amusing comic strip that I thought you might enjoy reading.

https://wondermark.com/c/1062/

[Emile]

68. No thanks, could be a virus at that link.

[Jose Garcia]

52. None of them were elected facing tough Republican opponents

Crockett and AOC represent solid blue districts. Harris was elected state-wide in California, a state carried by a Republican only twice in the past 30 years.

When was the last time Maine voters elected a Democrat to the US Senate? 1992.

[Emile]

66. Do you know Fetterman was already the democratic nominee when Bernie

endorsed him? We're you against that endorsement back then?

Bernie Sanders did not endorse John Fetterman during the 2022 Democratic primary race for the U.S. Senate. Fetterman was already the Democratic nominee when Sanders expressed his support for him during the general election campaign later that year.

[QueerDuck]

19. Damn the facts... he's been anointed and chosen.

His presence at all divides Democrats and creates distrust and resentment (and THAT is a sure-fire way to suppress the vote... thus handing a victory to Susan Collins.)

He should exit NOW before people get too emotionally invested in Bernie's choice. If he takes this to the end, he'll lose the nomination... but I can see the possibility that his hardcore supporters will feel betrayed or jilted... opening old wounds, and sitting out the general election.

If he (by some miracle) wins, it seems highly unlikely that in this political climate he'd be able to turn that into a win against the incumbent Susan Collins. He's a newcomer... inexperienced... untested... naive... still wet behind the ears. His past "indiscretions" will result in powerful and convincing negative ads against him.

We can do better than this. He needs to withdraw and find another career.

[W_HAMILTON]

22. Don't forget the racist comments about black people.

If he's not a Repub plant, he damn sure plays the part of one...

[Cha]

26. I bet Collins' team is On This. nt

[Keepthesoulalive]

59. Someone is leaking this

We should be grateful.

[Cha]

69. Of Course We Are.. TY. nt

[QueerDuck]

36. But he's been anointed...

... he's the chosen one.

We deserve better.

[pansypoo53219]

20. young male vs evolved male. jeez. just stop it + go after a republikkklan.

[RandySF]

21. He was 36.

[QueerDuck]

23. I predicted it!! (See post #6) Without fail, I knew that SOMEONE would try to dismiss it as a "youthful indiscretion"...

and you are absolutely correct, RandySF... he was a "full-grown" adult... TWICE the legal age of 18. This was no "momentary lapse of judgement."

This is who he is.

[Cha]

27. This is the Primary and many of us

want the best candidate to Go against Collins.

[bucolic_frolic]

30. Fettercrat /nt

[leftstreet]

50. LOL

that made me laugh out loud

[nycbos]

32. Does he regret it or does he regret getting caught?

[QueerDuck]

37. The perfunctory insincere non-apology reveals all.

[RandySF]

38. The tattoo reaction says it all.

He did nothing until it was called out.

[Dave says]

34. Out with the trash, I say

Anyone that would get the tattoos he has is already trash to me. Now this? Think of the mindset someone must have to do these things, even if done when he was younger (he wasn’t “young” in 2021). Certainly not a Democrat.

[mvd]

41. I'm for the progressive whoever possible, but this seems too much

A good strong economic message is fantastic to have, but rings less true with this baggage. Don’t want another Fetterman.

[struggle4progress]

42. So long it's been good to know you

[DFW]

47. Well-timed post

I just spent about 50 minutes on the phone with the Maine Secretary of State, Shenna Bellows

She is running for governor next year, and was looking for some support. She sounded very level-headed and open to learning about things she wasn't aware of, so her call wasn't in vain. She will probably be running against a disgusting cretin named Paul LePage, who was already governor of Maine when I was last there. I was standing right next to him, and he is a combination of John Gotti and Porky Pig. I pledged some support, needless to say. We also talked some about the Senate race, although we didn't dwell on it much. Shenna is concentrating on her own race, understandably enough.

[Walleye]

51. So why does he think he would be a better candidate than Janet Mills?

[Keepthesoulalive]

53. Well well

Another unqualified white male who wants fame and power. Where have we seen this before? Bernie has a very narrow view and it is obvious again.

[BannonsLiver]

55. "BUt hE pLaYeD cAlL oF dUtY sO iTs oKaY!!1"

[Botany]

56. A SS death's head tattoo and a Heil Hitler t shirt and now he says he isn't a Nazi.

A spokesperson for the Anti-Defamation League said in a statement to JI that Platner’s tattoo “appears to be a Nazi Totenkopf tattoo, and if true, it is troubling that a candidate for high office would have one.”

Snip

In the photo, Ward is pictured wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the number “88,” an apparent reference to a widely recognized neo-Nazi code for “Heil Hitler.” The post, a screenshot of which was obtained by JI, has since been deleted from Ward’s Facebook page.

https://jewishinsider.com/2025/10/graham-platner-ss-tattoo-maine-senate/

[questionseverything]

57. Mills supports Israel's massacre in Gaza, Platner doesn't

That’s a big part of his draw for young people

[Keepthesoulalive]

61. Young people like a certain person don't get the big picture

Last edited Fri Oct 24, 2025, 08:03 PM - Edit history (1)

You should not be a one issue voter. Someone who wants to win will tell you one thing and do the opposite. Trump promised to end the conflict day one and now he’s trying to build a resort over dead bodies. They need to grasp the world is huge and complex and then make the best decision to make it better.

[questionseverything]

78. What Israel has done to the people of Gaza should never happen to any living creature

Mass murder isn’t a freaking policy issue that can be explained away as an opinion difference

[Keepthesoulalive]

84. They are making a statement with their vote

How did that work out for the Palestinians and the world. There will be no Gaza and children every where will go hungry and without medications. Rich people get tax breaks and monuments. This cretin who popped up will not make a difference other than concerned collins will win again. This is not about purity, this is about fixing our country. As for white males who vote for Trump , you will suffer with the rest of us.

[W_HAMILTON]

70. Mills doesn't support racism, homophobia, and she doesn't have a Nazi tattoo anywhere on her body.

Do young people support those things?

[questionseverything]

71. So in your view, murder is fine, we will just have to disagree

[W_HAMILTON]

72. No, and neither are the multitude of vile comments that Platner has made.

And if you are going to boil things down to Mills -- and her supporters (like myself) as well now? -- support genocide because, uh, because you say so apparently, why is it unfair to say that anyone that supports Platner is a racist/homophobe/Nazi?

[questionseverything]

73. Mills support of Israel is no secret, I believe what has happened in Gaza is genocide

Now we could quibble over that word but we can see the rubble in Gaza

The picture I can’t get out of my mind today is an overhead shot, showing the rubble with 3 tiny figures , 2 women kneeling trying to deliver a woman’s baby while she lay on the side of bulldozered “road”, no pain relief, no comfortable bed, no roof, no water

And still Israel will not allow in food, water and medicine

And still the governor of Maine supports that

[W_HAMILTON]

74. I can assure you that Mills does not support genocide, but those vile comments from Platner? He certainly believed them.

And this came up in the Jeffries endorsing Mamdani thread, but what is it with a certain segment of the left wanting to alienate as many voters as possible? Do you think this helps any of the causes you claim to support, by having as little a tent as possible?

Do you think those that blamed Biden and then Kamala for what Israel -- a sovereign state that is not beholden to us -- was doing to the Palestinians, do you think things got better in Gaza when Trump was elected instead? When Netanyahu was literally trying to run out the clock on the Biden administration in the hopes that Trump would win and he could have free reign to completely clear out Gaza like he did?

Gaza no longer exists and Palestinians will be forever refugees.

These shortsighted actions by *just* enough of the left to throw elections to Republicans have never advanced the causes they were claiming to support. It has only made the situation worse, along with a lot more collateral damage -- just look at all the destruction that the Trump administration has caused, both to our country and many of its residents. Not once has it ever worked in their favor and it completely flies in the face of being a PROGRESSive, which many of them (WRONGLY) claim to be.

[questionseverything]

75. Whatever you want to call the killing and destruction of Gaza, mills has said she supports Israel completely

I have gotten hides before because I think American politicians should care about America before Israel but I still think it

[obamanut2012]

76. He was a Blackwater mercenary in the Middle East

With a Nazi tat and a mouthful of slurs.

I

[sarisataka]

79. Because Israel...

An excuse for misogyny, racism, homophobia and Nazi symbols.

I think maybe young people need to do some self reflection

[questionseverything]

81. I'm not defending platner either way but as another poster pointed out

All the sources that are reporting this tat & bad stuff are very pro Israel so I will wait for some unbiased sources before I decide

[sarisataka]

82. The pictures of the tattoo are online

And he has admitted to the comments he has made on reddit. I suppose he could be considered a biased source, but since he is not denying any of it, i'm willing to accept that he made the comments

[BigDemVoter]

65. Fuck him.

He should definitely drop out if he hasn't already done so.

[republianmushroom]

77. DINO ?

[walkingman]

80. I would be for anyone who has the best chance to defeat Susan Collins (not from Maine)...

Any Dem would be better than Collins.

[Hassler]

83. So all Maine has is Fetterman II or

Someone who will be 79 when sworn in.